Ball delivery device for ball game apparatus



Nov. 24, 1953 A. DURANT BALL DELIVERY DEVICE FOR BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 24, 1953 BALL DELIVERY DEVICE FOR BALL GAME APPARATUS Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago; Ill., assignor to General Patent Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 236,956

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a ball delivery device for ball game apparatuses, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a ball elevating device actuated by an electric motor which is arranged in a circuit such as will permit the elevator to be actuated by a pair of ball-actuated switches arranged in said circuit and in series, or by one of said ball-actuated switches and a coin-actuated switch in series with said one ball-actuated switch.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an amusement game apparatus a ball elevator which is automatically operable for delivering a ball to a channel through which the ball is projected.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and. arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ball elevator embodied in the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of an amusement game apparatus with which my invention is associated;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a proposed circuit for actuating the ball elevator.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings.

In this connection, II) indicates a playboard usually supported within a game apparatus cabinet at an inclination with respect to the horizontal. This playboard I in the present instance is provided with a channel I I through which a ball is adapted to be projected by a conventional projector I2. The channel II in the present instance terminates into a bowl I3 into which the ball from the channel passes for movement along the concave side walls of the bowl until the speed of the ball is spent, at which time the ball comes to rest in one of the several openings I4, where it is maintained until release by certain mechanism for return to the channel I I. In the channel I I, 1

2 includes a pin I8 resting upon the top leaf I9 of a switch 20. The weight of the ball on the pin I8 flexes the leaf I9 so as to contact a cooperating leaf 2|. The ball seat I! is formed at the upper end portion of a lift rod 22 slidably arranged through slots formed in lateral extensions 23 of a bracket 24 secured to a mounting plate 25. The

ball seat I1 is adapted to move through a channel-shaped member 26 to position the ball at the upper end of such channel for gravitation therefrom into a delivery trough 21 from whence the ball passes through a delivery opening into the channel II.

A mounting bracket 28 is secured to the mounting plate 25 and the channel-shaped extension 26. This bracket 28 supports an electric motor 29 which through a train of gears 30 actuates a shaft 3|. On this shaft 3| is a cam disc 32. Eccentrically connected as at 33 to the cam disc 32 is a link 34 in turn pivotally connected as at 35 to a link 36. This link 36 is pivotally connected as at 31 to the lift rod 22.

The arrangement is such that as the disc 32 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 the lift rod 22 will be elevated into the channel-shaped extension 26 to elevate a ball deposited on the seat I! to a position where it will gravitate into the delivery trough 21 for movement through the delivery opening and thence into the channel I I.

A switch 38 has an extension 33 which normally rides in a cut-out portion 43 formed in the disc 32. When the disc 32 is rotated in the direction aforestated, the tapered edge 4I engages the extension 39, and elevates the same so as to contact the spring leaves 42 of the switch 38.

This switch 38 is arranged in the circuit 43 for the motor 29. In this circuit 43, in addition to the switch 38, is a power source 44. The ball elevator switch 20 in this circuit 43 is connected in series with the ball switch I5. In addition, there is connected in this circuit in series with the switch 20 but parallel with the switch I5 a coin-actuated switch 45.

The arrangement is such that the motor 29 may be energized by the power source 44 by the closing of switches 45 and 2B, or by the closing of switches I5 and 20.

By this arrangement, each time a ball is projected through the channel and each time a ball is deposited on the ball seat I1, the switches I5 and 20 will be closed to energize the motor and effect elevation of a ball to the delivery trough, 21. The initial operation of the motor by the closing of the switches I5 and 20 moves the cam 3 32 a sufllcient distance to close the switch 38, which remains closed until the motor has made one complete cycle of revolution necessary to bring the ball lift rod 22 from its lowermost to its uppermost position and return again to its lowermost position.

By sucharrangement the delivery of the balls is automatic during the playing of the game. To start the delivery of a ball to the channel H, the coin switch 45 is operated in conjunction with the ball-actuated switch 20 but thereafter during the playing of the game, balls are delivered to the channel H by energization of the motor 29 by the closing of the ball-actuated switches and 20. I

In conventional amusement game apparatuses in which balls are used in the playing of the game, there is usually provided a hand-operated mechanism for effecting the elevation of the balls to the delivery opening for projection to the channels; during the playing of the game it is necessary that the players attention he focused alternately on the playing of the game and the hand-operated ball elevator mechanism. By my construction, however, the ball is delivered automatically to the channel during the playing of the game, thereby enabling the player to focus his entire attention upon the playing of the game. While I have illustrated and described the rare ferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable oivariation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail mystelf of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claaim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a game board having a ball channel formed therein and a delivery opening for delivering a ball to the channel for projection through the latter, of means for delivering a ball to said channel through said delivery opening, means for directing balls to said ball delivering means, means including an electric motor for actuating said ball delivering means; a starting circuit for said motor, a power source in said circuit, a pair of ball-actuated switches connected in series in said circuit, one

of said switches located in said channel and engageable with a ball projected therethrough, and the other of said switches located in the path of a ball delivered to said ball delivering means, a holding circuit for said motor, a switch in said holding circuit in series with said other ball-actuated switch and actuated by said motor for maintaining energization of said holding circuit during one cycle of rotation of said motor, and a coin-actuated switch in said starting circuit and connected in parallel with said one of said ballactuated switches and in series with the said other of said ball-actuated switches.

2. The combination with a game board having a ball channel formed therein and means for projecting a. ball through the channel, of means for delivering a ball to said projecting means for projection through said channel, means including an electric motor for actuating said ball delivering means, a starting circuit for said motor, a power source in said starting circuit, a pair of ball-actuated switches connected in series in said starting circuit, one of said switches located in said channel for engagement with a ball projected therethrough and the other of said switches located in the path of a, ball delivered by said ball delivering means to said projecting means, a coin-actuated switch in said starting circuit and connected in parallel with said one of said ball-actuated switches and in series with said other of said ball-actuated switches a holding circuit for said motor, a cam-actuated switch in said holding circuit and actuated by said motor for maintaining energization of said holding circuit by said power source after said motor has been initially energized by the closing of said ball-actuated switches or by the closing of said coin-actuated switch and said other of said ball-actuated switches.

LYNDON A. DURANT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,068,131 Holland July 22, 1913 2,019,607 Hedenskoog Nov. 5, 1935 2,068,178 Hooker Jan. 19, 1937 2,127,267 Kramer Aug. 16, 1938 2,177,725 Koci Oct. 31, 1939 2,197,491 Bellah Apr. 16, 1940 

